1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a SIM card for a portable electronic device. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for a portable electronic device adapted permitting a portable electronic device to be further reduced in size.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable electronic devices, such as MP3 players, PDPs (Portable Display Players), portable terminals, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), have become widely popular. In particular, as information communication technologies have been developed and portable terminals have gradually come into wide use due to the portability thereof, various functions, such as camera functions, MP3 player functions, games, etc. are incorporated in the portable terminals. In addition, portable terminals of various designs come into the market due to consumers' desires as well as various functions.
Such portable terminals are generally classified via their transmission protocol into a European GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) type which is combined with a TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) type, a North American TDMA type, and a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) type in accordance with communication methods thereof. Among them, a GSM-type portable terminal is equipped with an SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card. The GSM-type is an international standard for assuring compatibility between various network operators, and is widely employed in various countries in the word, including Europe. GSM-type also enjoys popularity because the SIM card and/or its data is transferable to different phones when in an area that transmits using, for example, a somewhat different frequency.
A SIM card used in such a GSM-type includes almost all the information items necessary for operating a portable terminal, in particular, data including subscriber-related information items, such as phone numbers and network numbers, as well as subscriber's personal information items, such as a password.
Therefore, since all the GSM portable terminals are provided with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card contacting device for receiving a SIM card, a user will be allowed to use any type of GSM portable terminals if only the user has a SIM card.
As shown in FIG. 1, a SIM card connecting device 10 for a conventional portable electronic device includes a socket 11, a bottom surface 12 formed in the socket 11 and opposed to one side of the SIM card 20, and a pair of supports 13 extending parallel to each other from the opposite lateral edges of the bottom surface 12 so as to support the other side of the SIM card 20. On the bottom surface 12, a plurality of connectors 15 protrude to be coupled with the SIM card 20, wherein the connectors 15 are mounted on a printed circuit board 30 positioned within the socket 11. Sleeves 14 have an edge surface parallel to the bottom surface so as to hold the SIM card 20 within the socket 11.
As shown in FIG. 2, the one side of the SIM card 20 is formed with connecting parts 21 in the pattern of the printed circuit board, so that the connecting parts 21 are to be in contact with the connectors 15, respectively, whereby the information items stored in the SIM card 20 will be transmitted to the portable electronic device through the printed circuit board 30.
That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the SIM card 20 is inserted into the socket 11, the connectors 15 protruding from the bottom surface 12 of the socket 11 come into close contact with the connecting parts 21 of the SIM card 20, and are maintained in that condition. More specifically, since the connectors 15 protruding from the bottom surface 12 of the socket 11 provide elastic force, while the SIM card 20 is being supported by the supports 13, the connecting parts 21 of the SIM card 20 press the connectors 15 protruding from the bottom surface 12, whereby the connectors 15 come into close contact with the connecting parts 21 of the SIM card 20 due to the elastic force thereof.
However, the SIM card 20 is inserted from an end of the socket 11 so as to be assembled to the socket 11, and friction is produced between the connectors 15 and the connecting parts 21 of the SIM card 20 at that time. The friction between the connectors 15 and the connecting parts 21 of the SIM card 20 causes damage, such as scratches, to the patterns of the connecting parts 21 on the printed circuit board. As a result, there is a problem in that if the SIM card 20 is used for a long time, poor contact is caused between the connectors 15 and the connecting parts 21.
In addition, since the connectors 15 protrude from the bottom surface 12 so as to stably maintain the connection of the SIM card 20, it is necessary for the socket 11 to have a height not only for allowing the insertion of the SIM card 20 but also for allowing the SIM card 20 to be coupled with the connectors 15 when the SIM card 20 is inserted into the socket 11. Typically, the SIM card mounting height in the socket 11 is in the range of about 2.3 to 3.0 mm.
Therefore, even if the connectors 15 are elastically pressed when they are coupled with the SIM card 20, the connectors 15 protrude to a predetermined height from the bottom surface 12. Therefore, there is a problem in that the thickness of the portable electronic device is increased by the height of the socket 11.
Therefore, what is needed is a SIM card connecting device for a portable electronic device, which prevents the connectors 15 from protruding from the bottom surface 12, and allows the connectors 15 to be maintained in the closely contacted state with the contacts 21.